Road construction.



y n. s. coLE @L B. @IL LUTE.I ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

` APPLICATION man ocT. 23, ma. 1,254,401'.

v3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Patented Jan. 22,1918.

DWIGHT E5.

Roan con'ernncrron.

Specfleation of Letters Patent.

latented lare Lilie.

Application filed October 23, 1915. Serial No, 57,493;

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Dwiomr S. COLE and llnennu'r B. GILLET-rn, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and b'tate of Michiganhave invented a new and use i'ul Road Construction, of which the follovih ing is A specification.

Uur invention relates to road or high wav construction, and more particularly to n rond or higlmay ot' a durable type having 4f1 top or wear surface of suitable material., as concrete, asphalt, or other combinations of ingredients suitable for -the purpose, capable of being formed or molded while ih a plastic condition, and which will become strong and durable by hardening after beingformed into the desired shape.

The objects of our invention are to produce a construction for the purpose which durable andl eiiicient in service; simple, economical. and easy to construct and repair, and in which the construction is made up of elements or units so designed that moet of them can be formed and finished' by Jfactor-y methods, at plants -for the purpose, and thell readily Lransported and assembled and joined together, with suitable provision for-contraction and expansoinito form an 'efli'cientv structure for highway or other traiiic purposes. These, vand other objects of our invention will be more 'fully dis'- lclosed by the following description and re- 'fer-ring to the accompanying drawings, forming a 'part of this specification, and the novel features combined in our invention are particularly specified in. the accompanyingelaims A road or structed in accordance *."ith our invention comprises in combination firmly 'mounted supporting walls or -girders 'longitudinal of the roadwayor direct' .1. uf traic;f.- oor slabs or units laid'crosswise-of and'resting lupon said longitudinal wallsgor girders 'and prevented from4 lateral displacement, with respect to theline of said roadwa by beor girders by suitable means; ledges'or other of said floor "ingjoint members resting thereon; joint traffic-carrying structure conf ing secured tol one of said longitudinal walls I members between the adjoining portions of said floor slabs and supported by said ledgesl as coal tar.J

or means, and a suitable filling, asphalt; or other bituminous or somewhat elastic material, forming the joints between. said floor slabs and. said joint members therebetween.

ln order to avoid much of the large errs pense heretofore met with in the construe tion of standardconcrete roads, we n ve planned our structure along radically diii'er ent lines than heretofore employ-fed Jfor such constructions.

In our improved construction we employ7 concrete, with steel reinforcements where required, exclusively, except that. a bituminous filler is used to make the joints waterproof and also to provide therein for the contraction and expansionof the licor menibers. The floor of our road is carried, from bottom cont-act with the earth beneath., on suitable walls or girders supi'iorted on suitable concrete footings embedded in. i earth at a depth belenv the harmful. action. of frost. All rolling and surface prepara tion of the earth work, by the addition to the surface thereof of crushed stone, gravel or sand, ie dispensed with.` Trenches or pits in the earth, to receive the ootings for supportingr the said supporting walls or girders, constitute 1the'I only workordinarily required on the ronghly graded roadway to prepare same to receive the concrete walls or girders carrying the floor. A very .large portion of the concrete structure is 'pleted road, as the road can be thrown open totrailc quickly` after the completed and cured `factory-made`parts are assem and oine'd to. forni the y.completed structure.

bled

Evidently our improved ,.construction, as

outlined above, hasmany ladvantages, from the constructive point 'of concrete roads.

HOW, accomplish the .l constructionview, over that commonly. hereto'ore employed .for building and 3;

above outlined can readily be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and their explanation hereinafter.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top or plan View, with portions eut awayr showing'an assemblage of the units constituting one form of our improved road construction and how these units adapt the construction to both straight and curved roads; Fig. 2 acrosssectional elevation of this form of our improved construction taken on line A-B of Fig. l; Fig. 3 a longitudinal sectional ele vation of same taken on line C-D of Fig. l; Fig. Lt an enlarged cross-sectional View of the joint between the adjoining sides oftwo of the floor slabs, taken on the Straight section of the road on line .D of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 a top view of one form of our improved tloor slab with a portion of another similar slab interlocked therewith at one end thereof; Fig. l a cross-section of Fig. 5 on line lil F; Fig. 7 a side elevation, partly in section on line GhI-I; of the full Islab shown by the lop view in Fig. 5; Fig. t5 an end view of Fig. T; Fig. 9 a bottom view ot the form ot' our Hoor slab disclosed in its other forms by Figs. 5; t3; l' and 8; Fig. 10 a top or plan view of the blocker joint member adapted to fit into the recess shown at the junction of the ends of the slabs shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 11 a side elevation of Fig.'b 1t); Fig. 12 a perspective view ot' the torni of metallic locking device employed with the type of joint shown in Figs. 5 and 7 to secure. the slabs together endwise and also to sei-ure the tloor slabs in position laterally with iespect to the longitudinal supporting ivails or girdelifs, as .shown clearly in Fig. 2; Fig. 1B a side eleva-tion of the knee portion of one toi-m of our combined girder and post employed in one form ot our improved constructii'in; as shown more fully in Figs. 1; Fig. 14 an ei'idwise view of Fig. t3; Fig. if a top view ot Fig'. 13; Fig. 16 a side elevatinn otl the centralportion and free end of thegirder portion of our corn bined gil-der and pest, having a form at the free end thereof adapted to member with the .socket shown in Figs. -li-, l-t and .15; Fig. l? a top view ot' Fig. 1li; Fig. v1li a side elevation of the end portions of our combined gir-der and post showing :mother method whereby the)Y may be flexibly interlocked; Fig. l!) a top view of Fig. 18; Fig. 2t) a top View of a section of our improved road construction showing another form ot joint where the ends-ot the floor slabs come together; Fig. 2l :i sectional elevation on line K--L of Fig. 2li; Fig. 22 an enlarged lop view ot the central portions at the end junction ot' two ot the floor slabs, shown less distinctly in Fig. 2t); Fig. 253 a central sectional elevation on line MMX ot' Fig. shown less distinctly in the central portion 1n lugs. 21

of Fig. 21; Fig. 21 a perspective View of the metallic locking device employed with the type of floor slab shown in Figs. 2() and 21--sectional elevations of which are shown and 23, and Fig. 25 a View, taken similarly to Fig. 4, showing special metal reinforcements at joints.

Like numbers refer to the same parts throughout the drawings.

Of the parts shown by the several ures, l is the post or leg portion of our com ined girder and post; 2 the girder portion thereof; 3 the ledge forming the support for the free end of girder 2 at the top of post l; 4 the free end ot' the girder adapted to rest upon ledge 3;'5 the under or bottom surface; al'v the free end 4. of the girder, adapted ro rest upon ledge 3 at top of post 1; 6 the floor slabs or large units of the flooring of eur in'iproved construction; 7 the ledges on lateral edges or sides of floor slabs 6; 8 the joint members or small lateral units of the flooring adapted to rest upon ledges 7. between the lateral edges of slabs 6; 9 the' interlocking portions of the ends of slabs t3; 10 the ledges at interlocking ends of slabs 6; 11 the perforations through ledges 10; 12 the metallic staple, shown in Figs. 2 -and 12, adapted to secure. two of the floor slabs 6 together endwise and to the girder or Wall beneath; 13 the central units of the flooringadapted to rest upon ledges 10 at the interlocking ends of slabs 6; '14 the bituminous or other somewhat elastic lling in the joints between the units forming the floor surface; 15 the curb at outer end of tloorslabs 6; 1G the bars reinforcing floor slabs 6; 17 the footing provided at bottom end of post '1; 18 the wall forn'iing the middle girder on curves; shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and 19 a form ot' metallic fastening employed to interlock two floor slabsI and one girder in another form of the joined member shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is dispensed with and but a single joint exists, at the abutting ends of the floor slabs, to be filled with the joint-making material.

In Fig. atype of reinforcement for floor slabs l and additional Hoor members 8 is shown in cross-section. The inverted T bars 2&0; applied to the sides of slabs (t, as shown, serve to greatly strengthen the slabs againsthreaking, and the web of said barsv serves to prevent the edge ot' the conei'ete at thevtop of the slabs from being fractured or chipped otl" by tratlie. Ledges 7 are also greatly strengthened by the exposed [langes of the T bars. Member 8 of the. flooring7 is liere shownto be formed in a trough of metal 551 adapted to be, placed as showiralnl secured there by the tilting material llt in the joints. Such metallic troughing serves as forms for molding members 8 accurately. also to protect same from fracture in han- `ends of the main floor jslabs, whereby the 'ir-n roved skilled fis, pertinent, however., that we state that m bars built :into the concrete, I qhave indicated the use of such reinforcing 'i ledge 3 near the top dling and b 'tralie after being embedded inthe road oor.

The fore oing references to the drawings Should ren er the essential features of our road construction clear to lthose in the art to which it pertains. It

the pictorial representation of our new construction, shownfby the drawings herewith, no. attempt has been made to show the exact proportions of parts or forms of details which competent engineers may determine' --to be the best for any partlcular installation. 'The same is true as to the matter of rein-- forcing the several parts by the use of metal. and while We bars no effort has been made to show to what extent such reinforcement may no found necessary or how it can best be ai ranged.

How some of the objects of our invention hereinbefore specified are achieved by the construction shown by the drawings will now be specifically pointed out.

By referring to the drawings it, will be seen thatV the type of joint employed, where the free end, 4, of thelgirder rests upon the of post 1, provides for swinging the consecutive 'girders laterally out of alinement to adapt that construction to the outer supporting members at curves., as clearly shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. A further inspection of Fig. 1 shows that in the preferred construction on curves the middle support for the licor slabs is referably a'solid concrete Wall '18 following the center line of the road. Such a wall can best be built in place and is of such a depth Aand form as conditionsinay require, and, -as indicated in Fig. 3, it may have a special footing 23 and be connecte-dto the girder-post adjoining by a slab 24 resting at one end on the post and at the other end built into the wall.

Provision for the longitudinal expansion of the girders is clearly shown at 25 in Figs. 1,-3, 1S and 19. The provision for expansion of floor slabs 6 longitudinallyr of the roadway (in the direction of the width Aof said slabs) is shown .at 29 in Fig. 4, the vsaid slabs being separated throughout their length by a sufficient space for that purpose. The somewhat elastic joint-filling material 14 in the joints above ledges 7 serves to permit of the lateral expansion of slabs 6 and at the same time forms tight joints between the -units of the road/floor. An inspection of Figs., 16 and 18 discloses that the contact surface at the bottom of the end of the :,gird'er 1s curved, and as this curve rests on a. Hat surface on ledge 3 it adapts thel constructionto changes of grade either to higher or lower levels while the comparatiz-el'ynarprox s laid crosswise. upon the -19 lateral displacement is prevented by the strongr metallic pin 26, in post 1, enacting with theI side walls of the slot 27 in the end of the girdcrs, clearly shown.

Upon curves 'the joint units., 91,' floor 1 :mi le s eciah having one i de re of the end wider oi curva-- ist elements ailaiits our regw straight or in their slabs l hill lf-ei'nl regardless main lita c air if e d r. la il s cei'isz'-i-i'iel ion. aan be so n ide as to rar units of tb. licei on S secuv oi the span their v 'd (ln curves, iai'ticularly those on steep hillsides, the construction may very advantageously embody the use of curbs and '15, at both edges of the pavement-such curbs to be comitructed integrally with flo-or slabs G and the small lateral units 8 of the floor.- ing. Ordinarily on straight roads where curbing; is desirable, as on high embank ments or Where ditches are at the side of the driveway, the curbing is preiefjii'ably on floor slabs 6 onlyfthereby leaving," gaps between the slabs 6 at the margins of the pavement for draining the surface of the road perfectly, and the saine time the cnrl'iing,f is so nearly continuous as to be entirely adequate.

From the foregoing constrnctions shown by the drawings it is evident that but a. slight departure in the form of one end of the .floor slab G is necesto adapt sameto being singly' inter- ,.est ends may cover.

A locked with a single wall or gil-der by eith'fer of the metallic locking devices shown@- the staple 12 or sectaon of I beam 19, or any equivalent means. A narrow road con'- strncted in accordance with the essential' principles parallel Awalls or' lines of girders. firmly set longitudinally of the roadway, with a Hoon.

ing.: of our slabsi 6 crosswise thereon-each other wall for tract-ions and expansions of the floor sla-bs -in the direction of their `length. The interdescriptions and thellll of our invention comprises tWio locked end as well as the free end of each such slab may extend outward beyond its respective wall or girder, as shown at the left of Fig. 2. We deem the above description of the adaptation of the principles-of our invention to narrow road constructions adequate to make same plain, to those skilled in such arts, without illustrating same in the drawings.

That the advantages of our improved construction may be more fully disclosed than hereinabove set forth we-will now enlarge upon what we have outlined, in the comparison of merits in setting forth the objects of our improved construction, and thereby aid in making more clear the wide and perfect adaptabilityr of our invention for concrete road construction.

The irst large. Iitem wherein the economy oour improved construction is very apparent lies in the small amount; of earthworlr ordinarily required to prepare for assembling the factory-made parts on the' special foot-ings to complet-e a strong, rigid and durable road structure.' ln the ordinary case oi our construction a turnpike is roughly formed to a grade considerably below that of the final road surface. Into such turnpike rows of holes at proper intervals are dug to a depth sutticieut to insure a firm setting of the post portion of our new combined girder and post. Upon the graded earth between the longitudinal rows of holes a sectional 'construction railway may readily be placed. vOver such tracks the glrder and post units 4may be easily transported and distributed along the right of way. vLikewise the. materials for the concrete footings 17 maybe transported and deposited at suitable inter-l f'als. Following the depositing of these materials along the roadway an erecting crane may travel alongthe rails and swing the girder-post units into position where they may be quieltlyvlined up and the toot of each post embedded in the fresh concrete depositedtor that purpose. in the holes. preferably after 'the posts are correctly lined up in place. Temporary shorings. as the piece of wood 20 in Fig-3. serve'to hold the girders to grade'uutil the toot-ngs ot' concrete harden' suliicieutly to take the load. afterr which the shorinffs are rel-noved and the holes filled with hrmed earth to prm'ide'a side support to the. posts' to hold the girders in the desired aliueuient'. No rlurther Qarthwork whatever is retplired to prepare for laying thefloor slabs. llpon the rows ot girders thus erected a. traveling crane is mounted and places the floor slabs in position in its rear. Transportation ol the floor slabs to ucar the site ol' their laying can be done over the complclod portion of the road day by day as the surfacing progresses, while a construction track on` suitable timbers cau be laid immediate] y upon the newly placed lloo'r slabs to enablethe forwardin of the slabs over the short newly laid sectlon.

After laying the floor slabs and .completa ing the concrete portion of the road, where conditions warrant, the earth is filled in at the sides to provide a margin at grade, as shown at 21 in Fig. 2. Where such marginal eart'hworlr is employed the earth under the outer ends of the floor slabs and against the outer face of the girders there is'rammed firmly in place, but between the rows of girders the earth is left rough and considerably lower than the bottom of the floor slabs, as indicated at 22 in Fig. 2.

From the above it can be seen that the amount and character of the earthwork involved vin our improved road construction is ery slight in comparison with that involved in the construction of standard concrete roads, as hereinabove described. The fact that Irrost of the transportation of the heavy and bulky materials used in the construction can be done over the completed road by motor trucks and trailers insures that the cost of transporting materials in our improved construction is much less than is possible under the systems of construction heretofore employed, as outlined heretofore.

Where dat land of a mucky or soft charn actor is encountered in constructing roads the great advantage of our improved construction is very evident. AOur factory-made unit construction permits ofthe completion of a firm and durable road over such ground without any grading whatever. A constru t-ion floor ot timbers may be required to carry a machine to drive rows ot piles to a depth such that their tops will be below the bottoms ot the. posts of our new girder-post construction. The erection of the girders and cone croting in of the posts over the tops of the piles follows atV once upon the driving of the piles and the laying o'f the tloorA slabs can soon be done, so that the finished road suriace 'can follow the driving of the piles within a short. distance-*thus the transportation of materials to the site of utilization is greatly facilitated by our new construction. In crossing such ground" the type of floor slab havingf a curb constructed integrally therewith at its outerend, as shown at 15 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is desirable and the surface of such road maybe Well up above the surface ot' the ground above high water levels, as shown clearly by that portion of Fig. 2 at the left of the center thereof.,

1n constructions where l nur girder-post units are. employed in crossing soft earth. as muck, a system of lateral 4cross ties joining the. posts at intervals servesto preventA the toppling-over ot the girders. particularly wherel curves occur. Such lateral cross ties are preferably designed of a tor-1n embodying a stift beam having a stift leg rigidly joined to and'depending from each of its would include as Within the scope of our'in vvcntion such departures from the details shown es may be evolved in connection Wit i the further development of such minor deteils.

What we claim is:

l. ln e rood construction, the combinelioii off parallel rows of firmly mounted tioonsupporling members longitudinal o iedwey.; Hoor slabs cross-Wise and ng upon the tori surfaces of said fir in supl'iorting meniliers, and means ici secur-N ing one end ot' erich of said. door slabs to one oi'said oonsuppcrting members so es to prevent the moveu'ient of seid floor slabs cross-wise of seid floor-supporting mem beim-the other or unsecured ends of seid Floor slabs resting et or neer their ends upon the top surface another of the *door suiji porting inen'ibers and being free to m'ove thereon. .f

2. In road construction7 the combination ot parallel rows of irmly mounted floorsupporting members longitudinal of the' roadway; licor slebs cross-wise of and resting upon the top surfaces of said oor supmrting i'i'ienibers; .ineens for securing one end of each of seid 'door slabs to one of seid :rows of fioorssupporting members so es to prevent the movement of seid floor slebs cross-wise of said floor-supportin member the other or unsecured ends o seid floor slabs resting at or neer their ends upon the top surface 'of another of the floor-supporting members and being free to move thereon, und ineens for making tight joints between the adjoining edges of' said floor slabs.

In n road construction, the combination of perallelrows of firmly mounted floorsupporting men'ibers longitudinal of the roadway; Hoor slabs cross-Wise of and restingr upon the top surfaces of seid Hoor-supporting members; means for secur ing one end of euch of seid floor slabs to one of said rows ol? Hoor-supporting members so ns io prevent the movement of seid floor slabs cross-wise oi said floorsupporting member the other or unsecured ends of said Hoor slabs resting nt or near their ends upon the loi) .surface of uiiotlier of the floor-Sup poi-ling uwinlwrs uml being free to move [billigflug menus for umking tight joints be tvveenthe adjoining edges of seid floor slabs, and n eurb at either-or both merging of the vdrive'i'viy--seid curb being constructed integrally 'with the outer ends of the Hoor Slabs und rising above the treilic surface thereof to form u barrier to p1 event vehicles from running oli' from the driveway.

4. In e. rond construction the combinetion of parallel rows of firmly mounted iiooresupporting members longitudinal ol4 the roadway-badi row of seid floor-supporting members comprising e series of consecutive girders, euch of which has u supporting post constructed integrally with and depending from one of its ends endmeans et the top portion of seid post for support ingy und maintaining in lateral position the end of the next consecutive girder thereto; fioor slabs cross: wise of and resting upon the top surfaces of iid floor-supporting mernbri-s, :ind menos, for securing one end of euch r, .d floor slabs to one of said loor-support s to prevent the movement of ...iid floor s ibs cross-wise of doorupporting member-the other or unsecured ends of seid door slabs resting at or neer their ends upon the top surface of another oi the floonsupporting .members and being free to move thereon.

5. 4In s road construction, the combination of parallel rows of firmly mounted floorsupp'orting members 'longitudinal of the roadway-each rovv of seid fiorsupporting members comprisinga. series of consecutive each oi? which hase supporting post conf. Aruoted integrally vvitlisndy depending from one of its ends and ineensv at the top portion of said post for supporting und. i'neinteining in intei il position the end of the next consecutive girder thereto; ioor slabs oross-wise of and resting upon the top surfaces ol3 seid floor-supporting members; menne for securing one end of each of seid floor slabs to one of seid floor-supporting menibers 5o :is to prevent the movement of seid floor slabs cross-Wise of said Hoon supporting member-the other or unsecured ends of .said floor. slnbs resting at or neer their ends upon the top surface ol' en other ot' the rou-stof floor-supporting members und being free to move thereon, and means 'for making tight joints between the :idioining edges ol said floor slabs. 6. in n rond construction, the combinetioi'i oi purnllel rowsoi firmly mounted floorsupuorting members .longitudinal of theV roadvv :ry-ouch members eoi'nprising :i series ot' consecutive gil-ders, nach of which hns :i supporting post constructed integrally with sind depending from one of its ends und means at the top portion of seid post `ior supporting and maintaining in lateral position the end of the next consecutive gir-der thereto; floor ,sl-(ibs ei'oss-\\'ise ol' and resting upon the top row of said floor supporting.:

sinfaces-of 'seid Hoor-supporting members; ineens for securing one end of each of said Hoor slabs to one of said Hoor-supporting members so as .to prevent the movement of said Hooi" slabs cross-Wise of said Hoor-sup porting memberthe other o1' unsecured ends of said Hoor slabs resting at or near their ends upon the top surface of another .of the oonsupporting members and being free to move thereon; lneens'for making tight joints between the adjoinin edges of said Hoor slabs, and a curb at either or both ,margins of the driveway-seid curb being constructed 'integrally With the outer ends of the Hoor slabs and rising` above the traffic surface thereof to forni n barrier topi-event vehicles from winning oli' from the driveway.

7. A load-carrying structure comprising a series of Consecutive girders, free to move in expanding and contracting, and supporting 2) posts depending from and constructed rigidly and integrally with one end of each of seid gi1ders`saifl posts being adapted at their tops to support and maintain in lateral position not only the ends of the girders of 23 which they form an integral part but also the postless ends gii'ders thereto.

of the next consecutive In testimony whereof WeA alix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT B. GILLETTE. DWIGHT S. COLE.

Witnesses ESTHER F. ROSE, RUTH H. JOHNSON. 

